Flight Safety Information April 2, 2018 - No. 066 In This Issue Accident: American B738 at Phoenix on Mar 30th 2018, odour in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Vistara A20N at Ahmedabad on Mar 30th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: Delta A319 at New York on Mar 31st 2018, bird strike Incident: Gol B738 at Buenos Aires on Mar 30th 2018, runway incursion Incident: Indonesia AirAsia X A333 at Tokyo on Mar 30th 2018, foreign object ingestion on roll out Incident: Delta B752 at Atlanta on Mar 29th 2018, hydraulic failure, wheel fire after landing Incident: American B772 at Buenos Aires on Mar 29th 2018, cabin pressure problems due to cracked windshield Cessna 208B Caravan Engine Out Off Field Landing (New York) Robinson R44 Fatal Accident (Brazil) BAe Hawk Mk166 Fatal Accident (Oman) 'Flight Deck LIBIK - Lithium-Ion Battery Incident Kit Accidents that changed aviation: Improving cockpit communication Philippine airline Cebu Pacific Air passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) FAA extends security notice for flights over Egypt Sinai Peninsula NTSB 'unhappy' with Tesla release of information in fatal crash There will be zero tolerance on air safety issues, says Suresh Prabhu (India) FAA Extends ADS-B Mandate To 2040 Academy to put aviation industry on world map Kansas University to Offer Tuition Help to Aspiring Pilots The Most Unusual Things Transported By Private Jet China space lab mostly burns up on re-entry in south Pacific GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Upcoming USC Course on Airport Construction Safety Management HFACS Workshop Accident: American B738 at Phoenix on Mar 30th 2018, odour in cabin An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N947AN performing flight AA-1100 from Phoenix,AZ to Baltimore,MD (USA), was climbing out of Phoenix when the crew requested to level off at 13,000 feet reporting a maintenance issue subsequently elaborating something was amiss in the cabin. Passengers were complaining about an obnoxious odour on board. The odour began to subside, the crew decided to continue the climb but stopped the climb again at FL190 because two flight attendants as well as 6 passengers began to feel increasingly sick with nausea and dizziness. The crew decided to return to Phoenix reporting several people in the back were sick, subsequently detailing 8 people were feeling sick. The aircraft landed safely on Phoenix's runway 08 about 40 minutes after departure. Phoenix Fire Department reported eight people reported suffering from nausea and dizziness, only two needed to be evaluated. There had been an odour of burning rubber which subsided after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N912NN reached Baltimore with a delay of 3 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1100/history/20180330/1540Z/KPHX/KBWI http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6c6036&opt=256 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Vistara A20N at Ahmedabad on Mar 30th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Vistara Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-TNH performing flight UK-996 from Ahmedabad to Delhi (India) with 115 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Ahmedabad's runway 23 when the crew stopped the climb at 3000 feet and needed to shut the right hand engine (LEAP-1) down. The aircraft returned to Ahmedabad for a safe landing on runway 23 about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200N registration VT-TNF reached Delhi with a delay of 5.5 hours. The airline confirmed the failure of the right hand engine but stressed the problem is unrelated to the issues encountered by Indigo and other airlines with PW1127 engines as they had opted for GE/CFM LEAP-1 engines. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6c5c14&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Delta A319 at New York on Mar 31st 2018, bird strike A Delta Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N321NB performing flight DL-2836 from New York JFK,NY to Denver,CO (USA), was climbing out of JFK's runway 31L about to be handed off to departure, when the crew reported they needed to return, they had just taken a bird into the #1 engine (CFM56) and wanted to turn left to land on runway 04L, they had "pretty good" vibrations. The crew shut the left engine down, went through the extended center line of runway 04L and requested runway 31L, which was approved. The aircraft landed safely on runway 31L about 13 minutes after departure. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2836/history/20180331/1205Z/KJFK/KDEN The left hand engine seen after landing (Photo: Port Authority Police): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6c5185&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Gol B738 at Buenos Aires on Mar 30th 2018, runway incursion A Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-800, registration PR-GUY performing flight G3-7658 from Buenos Aires Ezeiza,BA (Argentina) to Rio de Janeiro Galeao,RJ (Brazil), was cleared to hold short of Ezeiza's runway 35 but continued to taxi beyond the hold short line into position. A Cessna was on short final when the Boeing crossed the hold short line prompting tower to instruct the Cessna to go around - the pilot complied with - and then tell the Boeing crew that they had not been cleared to enter the runway, the crew countered they had understood they were cleared to enter the runway 35 for backtracking correcting to they believed they were cleared to enter runway 35 to line up. The Boeing departed shortly afterwards and landed in Rio without further incident, the Cessna landed safely on the second approach. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6bb6ae&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Indonesia AirAsia X A333 at Tokyo on Mar 30th 2018, foreign object ingestion on roll out An Indonesia AirAsia X Airbus A330-300, registration PK-XRA performing flight XT-401 from Denpasar (Indonesia) to Tokyo Narita (Japan), completed what appeared to be an uneventful flight with a safe landing on Narita's runway 34R and taxied to the apron. A post flight inspection revealed damage to an engine (Trent 772) consistent with foreign object ingestion. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported a runway inspection subsequently showed one of the touch down zone markers had crumbled with many fragments scattered on the runway. The runway was closed for about 40 minutes. An investigation has been opened to determine why the paint has peeled off the runway. The pieces found on the runway (Photo: Narita Airport): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6baed2&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Delta B752 at Atlanta on Mar 29th 2018, hydraulic failure, wheel fire after landing A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N690DL performing flight DL-673 from Atlanta,GA (USA) to Quito (Ecuador) with 199 passengers and 8 crew, was enroute at FL350 about 240nm southsoutheast of Atlanta, when the crew decided to return to Atlanta due to the loss of hydraulic pressure on the left hand side. On approach to Atlanta the crew advised they would stop on the runway. The aircraft touched down and rolled out safely on runway 27R, the crew reported they were unable to vacate the runway and would shut the aircraft down. Emergency services reported the aircraft appeared to have made a safe landing. A tow tug was being called to the runway. A runway inspection revealed no debris on the runway. About 8 minutes after the aircraft came to a stop a fire broke out at the right hand main gear, emergency services put the fire out. The aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron. A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N6705Y reached Quito with a delay of 5 hours. The FAA reported the aircraft returned to Atlanta due to a mechanical issue and caught fire shortly after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL673/history/20180329/2211Z/KATL/SEQM The wheel fire (not the beacon) seen by a passenger on another taxiing aircraft (Photo: Ronnie Fernando): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6baa1a&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: American B772 at Buenos Aires on Mar 29th 2018, cabin pressure problems due to cracked windshield An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N792AN performing flight AA-996 from Buenos Aires Ezeiza,BA (Argentina) to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA), was climbing out of Ezeiza's runway 35 when the crew stopped the climb at FL130 due to problems with the cabin pressure. The aircraft returned to Ezeiza for a safe landing on runway 35 about 35 minutes after departure. The aircraft stopped on the runway and was examined by emergency services before being towed to the apron, where the passengers disembarked normally. A passenger reported the captain announced they were returning to Buenos Aires due to cabin pressure problems as result of a wind screen, that cracked during departure, possibly as result of a bird strike. A ground observer reported it appeared a cockpit window began to open while the aircraft rotated for departure. Argentina's JIAAC dispatched investigators on site stating the damage is being determined. There had been no injuries. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6b854c&opt=256 Back to Top Cessna 208B Caravan Engine Out Off Field Landing (New York) Status: Preliminary Date: Saturday 31 March 2018 Time: 16:15 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Operator: Skydive the Ranch Registration: N9339B C/n / msn: 208B-0057 First flight: 1987 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: near Gardiner Airport, NY ( United States of America) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Parachuting Departure airport: Gardiner Airport, NY, United States of America Destination airport: Gardiner Airport, NY, United States of America Narrative: The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan force landed in a field following an engine malfunction. The nose landing gear collapsed. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180331-0 Back to Top Robinson R44 Fatal Accident (Brazil) Date: 01-APR-2018 Time: Type: Robinson R44 Raven II Owner/operator: I.S.Reis Júnior Comércio Ind.de Ótica Ltda Registration: PP-WVR C/n / msn: 12991 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Axixá, MA - Brazil Phase: En route Nature: Departure airport: Lima Campos, MA Destination airport: Paço do Lumiar, MA Narrative: The helicopter crashed in thick vegetation. All four on board were killed. The rainy weather conditions could be a factor of the accident. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=208641 Back to Top BAe Hawk Mk166 Fatal Accident (Oman) Date: 01-APR-2018 Time: morning Type: BAe Hawk Mk166 * Owner/operator: Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Masirah - Oman Phase: Landing Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The aircraft crashed during a training flight. The pilot was fatally injured. Ministry officials did not specify what kind of aircraft, when the crash took place and where. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=208549 Back to Top Back to Top Accidents that changed aviation: Improving cockpit communication Author: John Cox, USA TODAY Aviation's worst disaster occurred on March 27, 1977, when two 747s collided on a runway in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Five hundred and eighty-three people were fatally injured in an accident that should not have happened. The next year, a United DC-8 landed short of the runway near Portland, Ore., out of fuel. Tragically, 10 passengers lost their lives. Neither accident should have happened because some of the crewmembers knew things were going wrong but could not persuade the captain. Both captains continued in their mistaken belief that things were going fine. Both ended in catastrophe. On a foggy day in March 1977, KLM Flight 4805 began its takeoff roll on a flight to Amsterdam. The flight engineer and first officer were unsure if they were cleared for takeoff or only to line up on the runway awaiting further clearance. The captain was sure they were cleared for takeoff. He overruled the other two pilots and the big jet began to accelerate. They were not cleared for takeoff because a Pan Am 747 was taxiing on the runway as instructed by the controllers. As the KLM jet neared flying speed they saw the Pan Am plane in the fog and attempted to fly over it. The airplanes collided, killing all aboard the KLM flight and many on the Pam Am jet. Aviation had just suffered its worst accident. A little more than a year later, United Flight 173, a DC-8, was flying from Denver to Portland, Ore. As they approached the Portland airport and extended the landing gear, something went wrong. One of the main landing gears malfunctioned, causing the pilots to abort the landing. Once at a safe altitude the pilots attempted to fix the problem. Soon it became apparent there was a chance that the landing gear might not support the airplane on landing and an evacuation might be necessary. After advising the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for a possible evacuation, the captain continued to work with the first officer and flight engineer to resolve the problem. Fuel was becoming an issue. It took longer than expected to get all the passengers prepared, and the jet consumed fuel at a high rate due to the drag of the extended landing gear and low altitude. The first officer and flight engineer were growing concerned. As the captain methodically checked with the flight attendants on their progress, the first officer and flight engineer again expressed their concern about the amount of fuel remaining. The captain overruled them, finishing the discussion with the flight attendants. Finally, he asked for a turn toward the airport but there was not enough fuel remaining to make it. The four-engine jet ran out of fuel 6 miles from the airport. Two crewmembers and eight passengers died. Both accidents had captains overrule other crewmembers with catastrophic consequence. Aviation had to create a way for crewmembers to effectively communicate safety concerns. Crew Resource Management (CRM) was born. The concept of CRM is that everyone is responsible for safety. While the captain is in command, he or she must take into account safety concerns from fellow crewmembers. We began to build better teams flying the airplanes. In 1989, United Flight 232 had an engine explode, crippling the DC-10. The explosion sent shrapnel through the tail, severing hydraulic lines in all three systems. The jet was uncontrollable. Using CRM, the captain and crew, along with a DC-10 instructor that was flying as a passenger, managed to gain limited control of the badly crippled airliner. They landed in Sioux City, Iowa, destroying the airplane but 185 survived. CRM built the team that flew a nearly unflyable jet. Today, CRM is a major component of every airline safety program. Every pilot is taught the skills of leadership, followership and effective communication. CRM is a contributor to the lower accident rate we see today. John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems. http://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/nation-now/accidents-that-changed-aviation-improving-cockpit- communication/465-5d81396b-d7d4-4129-b204-1e4efa3c3c53 Back to Top Philippine airline Cebu Pacific Air passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Cebu Pacific commenced operations in 1996. It operates a fleet of 35 Airbus A320's, one A321, eight A330-300's and 17 ATR 72's on domestic and regional routes. The IOSA programme is an evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles and is designed to conduct audits in a standardised and consistent manner. It was created in 2003 by IATA. All IATA members are IOSA registered and must remain registered to maintain IATA membership. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/04/02/cebu-pacific-air-passes-iata-safety-audit/ Back to Top FAA extends security notice for flights over Egypt Sinai Peninsula Sinai Peninsula (FAA) The United States FAA extended a security warning for the Egypt Sinai Peninsula by another year due to continuing concern for flight safety. The initial Notam was issued on March 30, 2015, based on the FAA's assessment that international civil air routes that transit the Cairo (HECC) Flight Information Region (FIR) over the Sinai Peninsula and aircraft operating to and from Sinai airports are at risk from potential extremist attacks involving antiaircraft weapons, to include Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS), small arms fire, and indirect fire from mortars and rockets targeting Sinai airports. The FAA reports that the Islamic State in Iraq and ash-Sham in the Sinai (ISIS-Sinai), an Egypt-based affiliate of ISIS, continues to conduct attacks in northern and southern Sinai, some of which demonstrate their capability and intent to target civil aviation. In February 2017, ISIS-Sinai focused indirect fire on Eilat, Israel using rockets fired from southern Sinai. Based on this information, the FAA continues to advise U.S. airlines and operators to avoid flying below FL260 in this area. More information: * Notam KICZ A0007/18 (PDF) https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/03/31/faa-extends-security-notice-for-flights-over-egypt-sinai- peninsula/ Back to Top NTSB 'unhappy' with Tesla release of information in fatal crash * Agency said it was investigating "all aspects of this crash including the driver's previous concerns about the autopilot." KGO-TV A San Mateo man was killed when his Tesla crashed into a gore point at the Highway 101 and Highway 85 connector in Mountain View on March 23, 2018. Federal investigators said Sunday they were "unhappy" that Tesla had released information related to a fatal crash involving one of its Model X vehicles late last month. Tesla announced late Friday that the Tesla Model X had its semiautonomous "Autopilot" mode activated moments before it slammed into a highway barrier on U.S. 101 in California on March 23, killing driver Walter Huang, 38. In the lead-up to the crash, shortly before 9:30 a.m., "Autopilot was engaged with the adaptive cruise control follow-distance set to minimum," Tesla said in a blog post on its website. Autopilot is a semiautonomous mode that can automatically change lanes and speeds based on conditions, along with maintaining the proper distance between cars and proper lane positioning. Tesla says drivers should remain attentive and keep their hands on the wheel, by touching it at set intervals, so as not to become too dependent on the technology. Tesla indicated in its statement that Huang had not been following those steps, and blamed the severity of the crash on a highway barrier known as a "crash attenuator" meant to insulate vehicles from the effects of a collision. But the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, expressed concerns with Tesla's preliminary explanation for the crash, pointing to the ongoing investigation. "At this time the NTSB needs the assistance of Tesla to decode the data the vehicle recorded. In each of our investigations involving a Tesla vehicle, Tesla has been extremely cooperative on assisting with the vehicle data. However, the NTSB is unhappy with the release of investigative information by Tesla," NTSB spokesman Chris O'Neil said Sunday. The NTSB investigation was focused on the damaged collision barrier and the post-crash fire that complicated the response, according to the agency. But in the wake of revelations that Huang had previously complained about the Autopilot feature on his SUV, the NTSB said it was investigating "all aspects of this crash including the driver's previous concerns about the autopilot." "We will work to determine the probable cause of the crash and our next update of information about our investigation will likely be when we publish a preliminary report, which generally occurs within a few weeks of completion of field work," O'Neil said. Huang's relatives told told San Francisco ABC affiliate KGO-TV that he had previously complained to the Tesla dealership about the vehicle swerving toward the median where the fatal crash occurred. In its blog post, Tesla appeared to offer a defense for itself after the fiery wreck left the Tesla Model X - which sells for $70,000 - a crumpled shell; its front end was shredded and the frame was charred. Tesla blamed the damaged crash attenuator, which it said had been "crushed in a prior accident without being replaced." The barrier serves as a buffer between vehicles and the concrete median. Investigators have previously said the attenuator, overseen by the California Department of Transportation, had been damaged in a previous incident and had not been reset. "We have never seen this level of damage to a Model X in any other crash," Tesla said. The company also questioned whether the driver had been paying attention, though it added: "None of this changes how devastating an event like this is or how much we feel for our customer's family and friends. We are incredibly sorry for their loss." Tesla said Huang had not followed guidelines intended to ensure drivers are paying attention while the vehicle is in Autopilot mode. "The driver had received several visual and one audible hands-on warning earlier in the drive and the driver's hands were not detected on the wheel for six seconds prior to the collision," Tesla said. "The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken." In a previous investigation into fatal crash involving a Tesla operating in semiautonomous mode, the NTSB concluded that the driver killed in the 2016 crash with a tractor-trailer was overly reliant on the car's Autopilot system. The system worked as intended, the safety panel said, but was not intended to replace the driver. The NTSB had not made any conclusions Sunday on the cause of the crash or whether Autopilot or driver inattentiveness had contributed. Tesla declined to comment on the NTSB's concerns about it releasing information related to the investigation. It also issued a statement defending itself against claims Huang had complained about the functionality of the Autopilot feature. "We've been doing a thorough search of our service records and we cannot find anything suggesting that the customer ever complained to Tesla about the performance of Autopilot," a Tesla spokeswoman said. "There was a concern raised once about navigation not working correctly, but Autopilot's performance is unrelated to navigation." https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/01/ntsb-unhappy-with-tesla-release-of-investigative- information-in-fatal-crash/ Back to Top There will be zero tolerance on air safety issues, says Suresh Prabhu (India) Asserting that there will be "zero tolerance" on air safety issues, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has said the aircraft with engine problems will remain grounded till the issues are addressed. His remarks came against the backdrop of aviation watchdog DGCA grounding 14 A320 neo planes, operated by IndiGo and GoAir, due to problems with their Pratt & Whitney engines. "Pratt & Whitney has done some retrofitting, which has resulted in some challenges in engines. So, when I became the (civil aviation) minister, it was pointed out to me... I said this is too risky because safety should not be compromised on any account," Prabhu told PTI in an interview. Prabhu, who took charge of Civil Aviation Ministry on March 12, noted that safety should not be compromised on any account. On the same day, aviation regulator DGCA ordered IndiGo and GoAir to immediately ground 11 A320 neo planes powered with a certain series of P&W engines after incidents of mid-air engine failures. "Let them rectify this error and till that time they will be grounded and we called the airlines and told them to make alternate arrangements," Prabhu said. "By doing this, we are ensuring that there will be zero tolerance on safety issues," he said, adding that the engines will be required to be certified again for air worthiness. While 14 planes were grounded by IndiGo and GoAir last month due to engine issues, some of them are back in operation after being fitted with spare engines from P&W. Following the grounding of aircraft, there has been a significant number of flight cancellations by the two carriers. According to the minister, the situation is more or less stabilised in terms of disruptions. About regional air connectivity scheme UDAN, Prabhu said funds are not an issue. The funds are coming by way of cross-subsidisation, "so there is no problem," he added. UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) seeks to connect unserved and under-served airports as well as make flying more affordable for the common people. Towards providing viability gap funding for carriers participating in the scheme, the government is collecting levy from airlines flying on major routes. Various other incentives are also extended to the carriers under UDAN. https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/there-will-be-zero-tolerance-on-air-safety- issues-prabhu/story/273797.html Back to Top FAA Extends ADS-B Mandate To 2040 Conceding that aircraft owners-and even airlines-aren't equipping quickly enough with ADS-B, the FAA on Sunday announced that it's extending the mandate deadline to Jan. 1, 2040. Previously the equipage deadline was 2020. "Our data shows that the fleet won't have installation equipage sufficient to make NextGen even marginally operative," an FAA spokesman said over the weekend. Therefore, the agency will move the deadline to 2040, by which time it expects at least half of owners to have equipped. The agency added that given price trends on ADS-B technology, owners will be able to equip their aircraft with by-then obsolete technology for about 10 percent of current costs. To encourage equipage, the FAA will offer a second ADS-B rebate similar to the $500 pot-sweetener it announced last year to prime the installation pump. This time, another 20,000 owners will be eligible for the rebate, which the FAA says will be $25. https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Do-not-approve-FAA-Extends-ADS-B-Mandate-to-2040- 230532-1.html Back to Top Academy to put aviation industry on world map THE new Fiji Aviation Academy will help put the Fijian aviation industry on the world map. Fiji Airways managing director and CEO Andre Viljoen said the state-of-the-art academy would initially have two simulators. "We'll have a third bay which will stand empty initially but that's the one you need to look for because that will depend on our long haul fleet decision going forward," he said. "This will put Fiji right up in the front of aviation development in the world. The aviation academy will not only have the simulators used to keep training existing pilots but also have a school where we will be developing young cadets. "This is where we believe we will see a substantial growth in our Fijian pilots." The $90 million Fiji Aviation Academy is being built in Namaka, Nadi. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=440215 Back to Top Kansas University to Offer Tuition Help to Aspiring Pilots Kansas State University has partnered with a regional airline to help pilot students with their tuition and job placement. SALINA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas State University has partnered with a regional airline to help students who want to be pilots with their tuition and job placement. The university's Polytechnic Campus in Salina has partnered with Piedmont Airlines and its cadet program, The Wichita Eagle reported . Piedmont's cadet program will provide the benefits to select students enrolled at the school's professional pilot program and who have their Certified Flight Instructor rating. Students accepted into the cadet program will be eligible to receive tuition reimbursement once they have completed 500 hours of flight time. The students will receive a financial incentive with every 100 hours of completed flight time up to 1,000 hours. Ben Jaffee, the senior assistant chief flight instructor at the university, said students are eligible for graduation as well as their Airline Transport Pilot rating after completing 1,000 hours of flight time and will be guaranteed a spot Piedmont's next new hire training class. Jaffee said it's not clear how many students Piedmont will accept into the cadet program. Piedmont officials plan to meet with prospective students for its program on April 17. Jaffee said the school has a similar partnership with Mesa Airlines The airline partnership programs come as there's a shortage of pilots nationwide. The shortage is driven partially by continued, growing demand for air travel, retirements and the transition of pilots from regional to major airlines. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas/articles/2018-04-01/kansas-university-to-offer- tuition-help-to-aspiring-pilots Back to Top The Most Unusual Things Transported By Private Jet When chartering your own private jet, you can pretty much make any demands you like about what food and drink you are served, what music you want playing, what onboard amenities you'd like stocked and even the color of the seat upholstery - provided you are happy to pay the extras, and that it's legal. Some wealthy people even use private jets as luxury courier services to have things transported from one place to another. A spokesperson for Jetsmarter told The Telegraph: "We have dispatched a jet to transport Birkin bags back to a client's hometown after a shopping spree. On another occasion, we flew a mobile phone from New York to South Florida for a client who had left it at home by accident." Although these might sound outlandish, sometimes the requests made are on a far larger scale, demanding much larger planes. The Air Charter Service (ACS), which provides private jet, commercial airliner and cargo aircraft charters around the world, has revealed the six most unusual things it has been asked to transport aboard its flights... 1. Tomato Ketchup and Meat The ACS is often called upon to help transport emergency supplies of fast food - fast. But in this case it was a restaurant chain that chartered a Boeing 747 to fly 90 tonnes of tomato ketchup across the US before hundreds of branches ran out. On another occasion, someone requested a Boeing 737-300F to transport 14 tonnes of burgers from Belgium to Sweden for the launch of a new burger - along with copious amounts of dry ice to ensure the meat didn't defrost in transit. The ACS also sent a Boeing 727 to carry over 17 tonnes of ham to Puerto Rico after an administrative error meant the entire island almost ran out of the popular meat. 2. Sand The ACS once arranged for an aircraft to fly 13 tonnes of sand from Rome to Cairo (a city surrounded by desert) in a Russian-built Antonov An-12. The shipment was for a glassmaking company that needed a special type of sand that wasn't available in Egypt. 3. The World's Heaviest Woman The ACS once arranged to transport the former world's heaviest woman, Eman Ahmed, from her native Egypt to Mumbai, for life-saving surgery following an online fundraising campaign. A cargo flight was needed to fly the 36-year-old elephantiasis sufferer, who weighed around 500kg, in a modified Egyptair Airbus 300-600. 4. Designer Dresses When a major design label needed to fly over 400 dresses, 72 pairs of shoes and 40 pairs of trousers from Milan to the French capital in time for Paris Fashion Week, the ACS worked through the night to charter a mixture of cargo and passenger aircraft to safely transport the delicate, high-value garments. Other last-minute fashion requests include flying a plane-load of sports shoes to Mexico and sourcing an onboard courier to deliver a designer top from China to a London photoshoot. 5. Wild Lions The ACS regularly assists with conservation projects. Not so long ago it chartered a flight for seven wild lions from South Africa to Rwanda to help reintroduce the big cats following the country's 1994 civil war. Two males and five females traveled 2,500 miles, mostly by air, in an Antonov An-26, which had adequate room and ventilation for the animals. 6. Priceless Art When a museum in Morocco wanted to borrow some priceless art by Pablo Picasso from a gallery in Paris, they soon realised a scheduled flight couldn't carry the unusual three-tonne load, which comprised 11 reinforced wooden boxes up to 2.38 meters high. The ACS sourced an Antonov An-12 and instructed the pilots to fly lower than the usual 30,000 feet in order to avoid damage to the artwork. How much would these kinds of charters cost? Dan Morgan-Evans, group cargo director for ACS, says: "Our day-to-day charter clients include a lot of industries involved in 'just in time' manufacturing, such as automotive, technology and aerospace - we arrange more than 4,000 cargo flights every year, so there is a huge variety of requests. We also arrange almost 7,000 passenger charters annually. "Obviously costs vary wildly depending on aircraft size and route. For example, an intra-European flight carrying a ton of car parts would cost around £5,000-£10,000, whereas the Picasso flight would have cost around £40,000. But some charters (halfway around the world on a B747, for example) can cost upwards of half a million pounds." https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennysouthan/2018/03/28/the-most-unusual-things-transported-by- private-jet/#1978195124d4 Back to Top China space lab mostly burns up on re-entry in south Pacific BEIJING (AP) - China's defunct Tiangong 1 space station mostly burned up on re-entry into the atmosphere over the central South Pacific on Monday, Chinese space authorities said. The experimental space laboratory re-entered around 8:15 a.m. Beijing time, the China Manned Space Engineering Office said. Scientists monitoring the craft's disintegrating orbit had forecast the craft would mostly burn up and would pose only the slightest of risks to people. Analysis from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center showed it had mostly burned up. Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist at Australian National University, said that Tiangong 1's re-entry was "mostly successful" and that it would have been better if the space station had not been spinning toward Earth. "It could have been better, obviously, if it wasn't tumbling, but it landed in the Southern Pacific Ocean, and that's kind of where you hope it would land," Tucker said. "It's been tumbling and spinning for a while, which means that when it really starts to come down it's less predictable about what happens to it," Tucker said. He likened it to an airplane landing, saying it's more difficult to predict where a plane that is "shaking around and moving" will land than one that is smoothly descending. Launched in 2011, Tiangong 1 was China's first space station, serving as an experimental platform for bigger projects, such as the Tiangong 2 launched in September 2016 and a future permanent Chinese space station. Two crews of Chinese astronauts lived on the station while testing docking procedures and other operations. Its last crew departed in 2013 and contact with it was cut in 2016. Since then, it has orbited gradually closer and closer to Earth on its own while being monitored. Earlier forecasts had said that only about 10 percent of the bus-sized, 8.5-ton spacecraft would likely survive re-entry, mainly its heavier components such as its engines. "The biggest takeaway from this is that as we put more things into space, all countries, we have to be aware that we do have to plan for these sorts of issues that are happening," Tucker said. Roger Thompson, senior engineering specialist with the Aerospace Corporation in Virginia, said modeling of Tiangong 1's re-entry by monitors in the U.S. had been highly accurate, leaving him feeling "great" about their predictions. "We believe it was an uncontrolled entry," Thompson said, adding that the corporation's own estimate had been just 15 minutes behind the time announced by China. The lack of control was not unusual given that about 15 percent of satellites re-enter the atmosphere prior to the end of their useful lives, he said. The corporation, which provides technical support for the space industry, had not been in touch with the Chinese side about the re-entry, Thompson said. China's foreign and defense ministries said the country had relayed information about Tiangong 1's return to Earth to the United Nations' space agency and others. Debris from satellites, space launches and the International Space Station enters the atmosphere every few months, but only one person is known to have been hit by any of it: American woman Lottie Williams, who was struck but not injured by a falling piece of a U.S. Delta II rocket while exercising in an Oklahoma park in 1997. Most famously, America's 77-ton Skylab crashed through the atmosphere in 1979, spreading pieces of wreckage near the southwest Australian city of Perth, which fined the U.S. $400 for littering. Tiangong 1, whose name translates as "Heavenly Palace," had two modules, one for its solar panels and engines, and one for a pair of astronauts to live in and conduct experiments. A third astronaut slept in the Shenzhou spaceships that docked with the station, which also contained facilities for personal hygiene and food preparation. China's space program has made rapid progress since it launched its first crewed mission in 2003 - becoming only the third country after Russia and the U.S. to do so - including placing a rover on Mars and conducting a spacewalk. A mission to land another rover on Mars and bring back samples is set to launch in 2020, while China also plans to become the first country to soft-land a probe on the far side of the moon. The program's military background has at times been a barrier to greater cooperation with those run by other countries, and it was excluded from the 420-ton International Space Station that is now beginning to wind down. https://www.yahoo.com/news/defunct-chinese-space-lab-forecast-enter-atlantic-005742770.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 International airline pilot and 39-year veteran of flying, Karlene Petitt, has instructed pilots on Boeing aircraft for over 21 years, and holds type ratings on B777, A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, and B727. She is working on her PhD in Aviation with a focus on safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Petitt is researching the impact of training, aircraft understanding, safety culture, aviation passion, and manual flight tendencies, to better understand the impact on performance. If the pilot is always blamed for errors, the underlying factors may never be identified. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes and is anonymous. If you fly for a commercial operation, with a two (or more) person crew (corporate, charter, or airline) please visit http://petittaviationresearch.com to learn more and access the link to the survey that can be found at the bottom of the page. If you know any commercial pilot who qualifies, please share this link with them: http://petittaviationresearch.com The more pilots you send this to, the more impact we can make. Thank you! Karlene Petitt MBA. MHS. Doctoral Candidate Aviation ERAU Typed: B777, A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727, http://karlenepetitt.blogspot.com Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Dear Participant: Graduate students at Lewis University have invited you to participate in a research project entitled: Evaluating, Attitudes, and Opinions on the Cyber Threat Vulnerabilities of Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast. The purpose of this survey is to collect survey data from the aviation communities on beliefs of current ADS-B security and its present issues. This study has been approved by Lewis University's Institutional Review Board (IRB). The survey is anonymous. Participation in this research is completely voluntary and you may refuse to participate without consequence. The survey will take approximately ten minutes to complete. If you would like to know the results of this research, contact faculty advisor Dr. Erik Baker at bakerer@lewisu.edu. Thank you for your consideration. Your help is greatly appreciated. Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1c9h0ZuPRScfHkrkgvBbe5brmhWBiQvlELp1ORwm28bM/prefill Back to Top Upcoming USC Course on Airport Construction Safety Management Safety Systems for Airport Managers - 6-8 June 2018 As airports expand and modernize, airport managers should implement Safety Management Systems (SMS) into their construction plans. This course is designed to be used by airport managers and supervisors who already have some SMS background. It encompasses the implementation of SMS for Construction Safety Phasing Plans (CSPP). In particular, it will cover the Federal regulations covering SRM for Construction Projects. Objectives: To provide managers and supervisors an understanding of how to implement an SMS for construction projects. Who should attend: Managers and supervisors and appropriate airport personnel who will be involved in airport operations and safety during all phases of construction projects Course objective: How the documents published by FAA ARP regarding SMS, SRM, and CSPP implement the SMS requirement for airports published by ICAO and other FAA Lines of Business. Meet The Instructors Azra Hussain Ms. Hussain has worked as a civil and environmental engineer for aerospace manufacturers and civil engineering firms, and airport authorities. She currently serves as the Program Manager and Lead Engineer for the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) San Francisco Airports District Office, where she oversees the construction and maintenance of airport and navigation infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay area. She holds a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina, and a Professional Engineer license from the state of Indiana. Steve Cowell Mr. Cowell has facilitated Safety Risk Management (SRM) panels over 30 construction projects, including those for the Salt Lake City, Philadelphia, and San Jose international airports. Mr. Cowell also served as a key member of the FAA Office of Airports (ARP) internal SMS development team, including co- authoring FAA Order 5200.11 and the FAA ARP SMS Communications Outreach Plan. Mr. Cowell is a former professional pilot with over 18,000 flight hours in domestic and international experience from the airlines to air shows. He has three transport type ratings and served as an FAA appointed Aviation Safety Counselor for ten years. For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 "Long Beach Airport Ramp Construction" by John Murphy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Back to Top HFACS, Inc. offers professional development training on our innovative HFACS/HFIX methodologies. Our intensive, two-day workshops teaches updated cutting-edge techniques to help your organization identify the causes of errors and develop preventative measures to lower your risk and improve performance. How to register: To register visit hfacs.com or call 800-320-0833 or email dnlmccnn@gmail.com Attendees of the workshop will learn how to: * Integrate human factors and system safety concepts into the root cause analysis (RCA) process * Utilize the Human Factors Analysis & Classification System (HFACS®) to identify systemic causes of human error during accidents, incidents, and/or near misses. * Integrate HFACS into traditional RCA tools like the fishbone diagram, fault trees, and link analysis using HFACS * Implement the Human Factors Intervention matriX (HFIX®) to develop innovative corrective action programs Develop a human error database and tracking system for monitoring and evaluating performance improvement efforts All attendees of the workshop will receive: * HFACS Textbook * HFACS-RCA Handbook (including HFACS Interview Guide & HFACS/HFIX Checklists) * Complimentary Associate HFACS Professional (AHP) Certification * Opportunity to join the largest Listserv catering to human factors accident investigation and error management Already attended a 2-day workshop? Don't miss out on our special offers! * Our workshops have been updated to feature the newest information * If you have already attended our 2-day HFACS course, don't miss out on the opportunity to attend another workshop as a "refresher" for a discounted rate of $200 * Or bring a full-paying customer with you and receive free refresher course registration For any additional questions and information, contact dnlmccnn@gmail.com call 800-320-0833 Curt Lewis